LIHUE — Two young executives from Grove Farm are taking part in a mentoring and next generation leadership residency that includes learning traditional Asian, American and Polynesian concepts. The Hawaii Asia Pacific Association is sending 11 business leaders from Hawaii
LIHUE — Two young executives from Grove Farm are taking part in a mentoring and next generation leadership residency that includes learning traditional Asian, American and Polynesian concepts.
The Hawaii Asia Pacific Association is sending 11 business leaders from Hawaii to Japan on Aug. 24 to undergo five days of leadership training. With the theme of “Leading from the Heart,” the groups will assist families and businesses in the Tohoku Region that were devastated by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Two members of the HAPA Young Leaders Experience include Grove Farm Vice President David Hinazumi, and Project Specialist Royce Kawabata. The will be looking to identify long-term collaborative projects as they meet with corporate officers of Pokemon, the director of Fashionweek, Janssen Pharmaceutical, and a fifth generation noh performer and top professional “Go” board game player.
Hinazumi said the Japan Experience provides a rare opportunity to build leadership skills and develop lifelong relationships with top leaders from Hawaii and Asia.
“The service work in Japan’s tsunami devastated areas will further instill in me the values of compassion, selflessness, and perseverance — that tragedy can be turned into triumph,” Hinazumi said. “Through this experience, I look to return home better able to serve our island community.”
This group will harvest and process sea urchin, oysters and scallops to assist a fishing family in Kesennuma. They will also make traditional Japanese cosmetics for a regional manufacturer in Iwate Prefecture.
Kawabata says this experience will help prepare him to better undertake the new initiatives of his company in Kauai.
“I am extremely excited to participate as it will provide the ability to build lasting connections with emerging leaders from Hawaii and Japan,” Kawabata said. “I hope to come away from this experience with a deeper understanding of the host culture, and I want to learn about their triumphs and tribulations as well as how they seek solutions.”
HAPA is comprised of 55 executives, business owners, and influential community leaders in Hawaii. Members travel annually to an area in the Asia-Pacific region to discover new insights and ideas and 10 Korean leaders recently traveled to Honolulu and Kauai to learn Hawaii practices and teach others about culturally appropriate business.
